Human Rights

16 Dec 2020; MEMO: Saudi Arabia is detaining hundreds of mainly Ethiopian migrants in squalid conditions in Riyadh, Human Rights Watch said, quoting some as saying they had been tortured or beaten, and that at least three had died since October.

16 Dec 2020; MEMO: The Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has expressed regret after two assistants of the military attaché at the Sudanese embassy in London applied for political asylum in the UK following the termination of their missions.

16 Dec 2020; MEMO: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has expressed his concern about the detention of US citizens and human rights activists in Saudi Arabia.

Pompeo said during a phone call with his Saudi counterpart, Faisal Bin Farhan, that he is "concerned over wrongful detention of US citizens and human rights activists in the Kingdom," calling for a fair and expeditious resolution of the cases.

Chandigarh, Dec 15 (PTI) Launching a scathing attack on the BJP over farmers' protest against the three central farm laws, SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal on Tuesday called the saffron party the real tukde tukde gang , accusing it of setting Hindus against Sikhs in Punjab.

Asking the former ally to shun the arrogant attitude over the farm laws and accept what farmers want, Badal warned the BJP against any attempt to set Hindus against Sikhs.

Dhordo (Guj), Dec 15 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said a conspiracy is afoot to confuse farmers over the new agri laws and accused the opposition of using farmers' shoulders to fire their guns.

As the protest by farmers outside Delhi entered the 20th day, Modi made a strong pitch for the agri laws enacted in September, describing them as historic and said his government was ready to remove any doubts about the legislations.

New Delhi, Dec 16 (PTI) Security arrangements were tightened at the Chilla border between Delhi and Noida on Wednesday as farmer union leaders have threatened to completely block the key border point to press for repeal of the Centre's new farm laws.

A senior police officer said elaborate security measures are already in place at the Chilla border. Multi-layered barricades, jersey barriers and additional security personnel have been deployed to ensure law and order.

Muzaffarnagar, Dec 16 (PTI) A 16-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a middle-aged man in a village in Shamli district of Uttar Pradesh, police said on Wednesday.

The incident took place in the Jhinjhana police station area on Tuesday, they said.

The accused lured the victim, who is mentally challenged, to his house and raped her, the minor's mother said in her complaint to the police.

Tehran, Dec15, IRNA – President Hassan Rouhani said on Tuesday that the US sanctioners who had predicted collapse of Iran's economy in a short-term period are now leaving the White House while their dreams did not come true.

President Rouhani made the remarks at an economic session held in Tehran this morning.

Although economic war did create many difficulties, but, ultimately the Iranian nation won the US war and is now more powerful and resistant than any other time, the President noted.

15 Dec 2020; MEMO: Reporters Sans Frontiers (RSF) has revealed that China, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam and Syria are the world's biggest jailers of journalists for the second year.

In a report the organisation stated that the number of journalists in prison this year is just two less than it was this time last year, when the number stood at 389.

15 Dec 2020; MEMO:  Israel's annexation of the occupied Syrian Golan Heights "is null and void and has no legal standing," Arab news agencies reported the Arab League saying yesterday.